The Wheel of Time - The Call of the Horn

Children of the Light

The Children of the Light are a paramilitary organization dedicated to finding Darkfriends and rooting out evil and corruption wherever it may be found. Their zeal in this endeavor makes them dangerous opponents. Their headquarters is the Fortress of the Light in the city of Amador in Amadicia. In truth they rule the country of Amadicia.

They typically refer to themselves as The Children. They are commonly referred to by others though, as Whitecloaks due to their snowy white cloaks, which they wear in all seasons and keep immaculately clean. This is not a name favored by the Children themselves.

The current Lord Captain Commander of the Children is Galad Damodred.

Uniform
The Children of the Light always wear a pure white cloak or tabard over their clothes and armor. The left breast of each has a golden sunburst worked into it, a symbol of the light. Each garb is further adorned with silver lightning blots for under-officers and golden stars or knots in increasing quantity to indicate rank for higher officers.

Each Child is armored with conical metal helm and plain breastplate. Swords are worn by all Children, though never in the audience chamber of the Lord Captain Commander or beneath the Dome of Truth.

Members of the Hand of the Light wear the same cloths as other Children, save for them having a blood-red shepherd’s crook emblazoned behind the sunburst. The High Inquisitor wears only the red crook devoid of the flaring sun.

History
The Children of the Light were founded in FY 1021 during the War of the Hundred Years by Lothair Mantelar. They were originally preachers working to expose Darkfriends, using Mantelar’s book The Way of the Light as their guide. At first they only defended themselves against the Shadow, but by FY 1111 they had become a fully militarized force.

The Children’s power and prestige was initially limited, but over the succeeding one thousand years, as the influence of the Aes Sedai began to ebb due to their declining numbers and failure to prevent the War of the Hundred Years and many subsequent conflicts, they became more popular and powerful. In the 930s NE they reached an accord with the king of Amadicia, who agreed to let them establish a permanant base of operations, the Fortress of the Light, in the capital city of Amador. However, the power of the Children within Amadicia rapidly outstripped that of the king, and within a few years the royal Serenda Palace had been removed to outside the capital and the Amadician army reduced to an auxillary force under the Children. The Children entered a period of rapid growth under young, successful military commanders such as Pedron Niall, and in 957 NE, they launched an ambitious attempt to bring the much larger and more divided neighboring kingdom of Altara under their rule in what became known as the Whitecloak War. The kingdoms of Illian and Murandy intervened in the conflict and the Children were forced to abandon the attempt, despite significant military gains and successes.

Despite many intrigues and attempts to extend their influence into neighboring Altara, Ghealdan and Tarabon, the Children’s influence and power has been contained within Amadicia. In 998 NE they launched an attempt to foment rebellion in Andor, using popular discontent with the kingdom’s alliance with Tar Valon, but this plan failed. Another plan to resurrect the kingdom of Almoth as a Children stronghold and then force Tarabon to submit due to pressure from north and east was also defeated, this time by the arrival of the Seanchan Hailene. Lord Captain Commander Niall learned of the later return of the Seanchan forces and rallied the Children’s military in preparation for an anticipated attack, but he was assassinated before this information could be passed on. He was succeeded as Lord Captain Commander by Eamon Valda. A few weeks later the Seanchan invaded Amadicia, capturing Amador and the Fortress of the Light in a daring assault using airborne troops dropped into the city by to’raken. Attempts by the Children to retake the city in alliance with the Amadician army were defeated at the Battle of Jeramel.

Valda subsequently forged an alliance with the Seanchan to the discontent of many of the Children. Holding Valda responsible for the disappearance and presumed murder of his adopted mother, Morgase Trakand, Galad Damodred, now serving in the Children, slew Valda in single combat. The other Children proclaimed him Lord Captain Commander and he led the bulk of the surviving Children out of Amadicia, north and east towards Andor. Their current plan and objective is unknown, although Galad was reported to be considering an alliance with the Dragon Reborn to fight the Seanchan and drive them out of Amadicia and the rest of the Westlands.

Idealology
The Children of the Light believe in the destruction of Darkfriends, in all echelons of society and in every land. Thinking that since the One Power was used during the Breaking of the World that all who touch it are Darkfriends. Thus all Aes Sedai serve the Shadow. They believe in strict military disicpline for all and are ruthless about their beliefs. It is not uncommon for Children to believe someone a Darkfriend before they even accuse.

“Not until the world saw the Tower for what it was, a sink of Darkfriends meddling with forces mankind was not meant to touch, the force that had caused the Breaking of the World.”
—Thoughts of Pedron Niall
The Children of the light follow very strict ascetic beliefs, and usually give the impression that they alone know the truth and path to righteousness. Mantelar’s book The Way of the Light serves as ideological guide for the Children of the Light. In the book he outlined a humble, simple life dedicated to serving the Light that he believed all should follow.

The philosophy of the Children is a blend of retribution and redemption. While they believe that “no man is so lost that he cannot be brought to the Light,” the penalty for being a Darkfriend is death. They also say that, “The sins of the mother are visited to the fifth generation and the sins father to the tenth.”

High Inquisitor
The High Inquisitor is the highest ranking member of the Hand of the Light, and the second-highest ranking member among the Children of the Light, second only to the Lord Captain Commander himself. While the Children generally dislike the Hand of the Light, they hold the High Inquisitor in high regard.

The High Inquisitor alone is responsible for issuing the orders for the Hand of the Light. The Hand of the Light usually only answers to the High Inquisitor, but are still technically under the command of the Lord Captain Commander. The High Inquisitor is also a member of the Council of the Anointed, which is presided over by the Lord Captain Commander and is also comprised of approximately twelve Lord Captains. The Council is responsible for determining policies for the Children.

The High Inquisitor can be differentiated from the rest of the Children by the sigil of his station. All Children wear a golden sunburst over the left breast of their cloak and tabard, and the Hand of the Light have a blood-red shepherd’s crook emblazoned behind the sunburst. The High Inquisitor wears only the shepherd’s crook, suggesting that holders of this position believe themselves to stand apart from the Children.

Council of the Annointed
The Council of the Anointed is the name for the ruling council of the Children of the Light and is presided over by the Lord Captain Commander. The council sits to determine policy for the entire Children. It will sit in either the Dome of Truth or the personal audience chamber of the Lord Captain Commander.

Lord Captain Commander
The Lord Captain Commander is the supreme head of the Children of the Light. Traditionally, the Lord Captain Commander resides in the Fortress of the Light in Amador, where he directs the Children of the Light. Lord Captain Commanders, with two exceptions (see main article), are chosen by the Lord Captains from their own ranks.

Hand of Light
Nicknamed the Questioners, though never so called to their faces, The Hand of the Light is the branch of the Children that are responsible for extracting damning confessions from the men and women that are captured. Using thumb screws, boiling oil and the like these people torture and use whatever means necessary to gain a guilty confession. Even other Children of Light tread lightly among the “Hand that digs out Truth,” they act as though they are a law unto themselves. The High Inquisitor stands almost as high as a Lord Captain.

The current High Inquisitor is Rhadam Asunawa.

The Spymasters
The intelligence branch of the Children consists of an extensive eyes and ears network spread throughout all kingdoms and provinces. All information is controlled and handled by a spymaster, and it is his job to keep the Lord Captain Commander informed. Even within the Children, the true spymaster is not known except to the Lord Captain Commander. Besides the Lord Captain Commander’s spy network, many other individual Lord Captains also have their own personal networks of eyes-and-ears.

Hierarchy
The ranks, beginning with the highest, among the Children and the Hand of the Light are as follows:

OfficersLord Captain Commander – The leader of the Children of the Light.
The Lord Captain Commander is the supreme head of the Children of the Light. Traditionally, the Lord Captain Commander resides in the Fortress of the Light in Amador, where he directs the Children of the Light. His goal is to unite the lands in the name of the Light, purge all shadowspawn and users of the One Power (often seen as synonymous) from the lands and ultimately to lead the armies of the Light in the Last Battle and the Dark One [verify]. Lord Captain Commanders, with two exceptions (see below), are chosen by the Lord Captains from their own ranks. No Lord Captain Commander has ever been executed but several have been assassinated.

Galadedrid Damodred – The current Lord Captain Commander and Elayne Trakand’s half-brother. He became Lord Captain Commander when he challenged Eamon Valda to a Trial Beneath the Light (in short, a duel of honor) for his supposed assault and murder of Morgase Trakand. The trial took place on Aine 4, 1000 NE. In a fierce sword fight, Damodred killed Valda and won all of his belongings, titles, and responsibilities including the leadership of the Children. While he does command a bulk of the Children’s forces, the Fortress of the Light in Amador, and the remaining Children, are under the control of the Seanchan.

Lord Captain – Commands a legion which is supposedly 2000 men, though it is often less and sometimes more. Lord Captain is a rank within the Children of the Light. It is the second-highest rank after the Lord Captain Commander. Lords Captain are known to command Legions of 2,000 men.

Senior-Lieutenant
Kashgar is a member of the Children of the Light. He is almost boyish, despite a great hooked nose and thick mustaches like inverted horns. He is lean. He is young and from Saldaea and holds the rank of Under-Lieutenant.

Eamon Valda removes his helmet and offers it to be taken away. When no one volunteers, Kashgar steps forward and Valda hand him his sword belt too. This is slightly demeaning for an officer, though nobody else appears to be willing to help Valda prepare for his duel against Galad Damodred. After Valda is slain, he wipes blood from the heron-marked blade on Valda’s coat, sheathes it and presents it to Galad. He addresses him as Lord Captain Commander.

Lieutenant – Usually the lowest rank to hold a position of command. Usually act as support officers for their superiors.
Under-Lieutenant

MembersRhadam Asunawa
Rhadam Asunawa was the High Inquisitor of the Hand of the Light. He was a gaunt man with dark, deep-set eyes that burn with unnerving fervor. He had gray hair thick gray eyebrows. His face was sorrowful and emaciated. He had the look of a martyr. The cloak he wore as the High Questioner was adorned with only the scarlet shepherd’s crook of a Questioner without the sunburst shared by the rest of the Children and Questioners. Rhadam Asunawa is the High Inquisitor of the Hand of the Light. His manner is such that he stands apart from the rest of the Children. In his eyes, meddling with the One Power is usurping the Creator’s power and is the cause of all the world’s ill. He wants more than anything else to destroy anyone and everyone who can channel or even wishes to; they must confess their sin under the ministrations of the Hand of the Light, and then die. Pedron Niall thinks that Asunawa wanted every woman who had ever spent a night in the Tower hanged as of yesterday, every book that mentioned Aes Sedai or the One Power burned, and the words themselves banned. and that he never had a thought beyond those goals, nor a care for costs. His hatred of Aes Sedai seems extreme, even for the Children of the Light. He addresses everyone as “my son”, even the Lord Captain Commander. This is oddly similar to the traditions of his arch-enemy, the Amyrlin Seat, who addresses all Aes Sedai as “daughter”. Valda strongly dislikes him simply because he is a Questioner. Niall, in some respects, echoed this opinion. Asunawa himself believes himself to be hated, but only because he believes that men hate what they fear. In contrast, many of the Children hold him in esteem, even if they generally dislike Questioners.

sends a Questioner to Eamon Valda suggesting that Valda may want to visit the Dome of Truth. Rhadam is waiting there, examining a painting of Serenia Latar being hanged. He asks Valda if he is “troubled” and discusses the fact that the Children now harbor a witch, Morgase Trakand. He also suggests that Niall whould not be allowed to destroy the Children of the Light. He witnesses the hanging of the Darkfriend Paitr Conel and his “uncle”, Torwyn Barshaw. He plans the details of each day of the trial he wants to give Morgase with ambassadors from every land present. He will wring out a confession from her without leaving any marks and then she will be hanged like a common criminal. He plans to have a special gallows built for her and have it preserved afterwards as an example to all. He enters Niall’s audience chamber just as Eamon Valda kills Abdel Omerna for assassinating Pedron Niall. Omerna was, however, likely being used by Asunawa and Valda to get Niall out of the way. Valda makes a move to finish off the dying Niall, but is stopped by Asunawa. Asunawa would attest that he had opened Niall’s throat had he done so, thereby condemning Valda as a traitor also. Asunawa tries to blackmail Valda into letting him have Morgase in exchange for letting Valda become Lord Captain Commander. Valda, however, doesn’t need Asunawa’s help and has already made moves to get enough Lord Captains to support him and threatens Asunawa’s own position as head of the Hand of Light. Asunawa wants to have Morgase hanged for her months in the Tower, but Valda does not want her dead until after he she has fulfilled her usefulness to him. Without Morgase alive, the agreement she had signed with Niall for the Children to have authority in Andor would become void. Asunawa seems to forget this or cares more about hanging Morgase.

Valda hands Morgase over to Asunawa for a brief while to placate him. He tortures Morgase for an hour with needles and knotted ropes. Before this, she believed that she could withstand anything and still keep fighting. He goes north of Amador with Valda and several thousand Children of the Light with the aim of meeting with the Prophet of the Dragon. While they are away, the Seanchan attack the Fortress of the Light. After the fall of Amador and the Fortress of the Light, Asunawa is part of the camp of nine thousand Children with Valda. Unlike the other Children, Asunawa has a small cottage rather than a tent and has creature comforts like mulled wine and a small fire in a stone hearth. Asunawa reads Lothair Mantelar’s The Way of the Light, a book more suited to new recruits than the High Inquisitor. Asunawa reports the presence of an Andoran army in Murandy, implying that they are looking for Morgase. He, Valda and the other surviving members of the Council of the Anointed go to meet with the Seanchan. Asunawa dislikes them, but is willing to go to the meeting if peace with them will mean the downfall of the White Tower.

At Valda’s lodge, he surrounds himself with a bodyguard of six Questioners. When Galad makes his request for a Trial Beneath the Light, Asunawa offers to deal with the matter discreetly if he tells him who the accused is. The accused is Valda. On discovering this, Asunawa promptly changes his mind and orders two Questioners to take Galad into custody with the intention of having him tortured and finding out what Darkfriend plot he is a part of. Yet the Children will not allow it. Even before the combat begins, he and his Questioners are reining their horses. He leaves as soon as it is clear that Valda has been defeated. Lunal Galgan mentions that Asunawa has a few thousand Children of the Light still loyal to the Seanchan. High Lady Suroth considers making them all da’covale. Galad has seven thousand Children of the Light loyal to him as Lord Captain Commander. Asunawa takes his much larger force and cuts off Galad’s force as they are trying to retreat from Seanchan controlled lands. Rather than have Whitecloak fight Whitecloak, Galad surrenders to Asunawa to be questioned. Instead Galad is rescued by Lord Captains who decided to kill Asunawa and accept Galad as Lord Commander.

Barlett
Child Barlett is a scout in the Children of the Light. He is lean with a scar on one cheek. He leaves Seanchan controlled territory with Galadedrid Damodred. He scouts the path for Galad’s army as they make their way through swampland. Barlett and the rest of the scouts are actually loyal to Rhadam Asunawa and lead Galad’s force to a much larger force of Children of the Light under Seanchan control.

Geofram Bornhald
Geofram Bornhald was a Lord Captain of the Children of the Light. Geofram is described as a grandfatherly in appearance, with experience and an even temper. He was given the oath of the Light by Niall personally around the year 962 NE. He was considered the best battle commander in the Children of the Light by Pedron Niall. He was a member of the Council of the Anointed. He believed being a zealot is a good thing but overzealousness is a flaw. Unlike most Children he did not quickly assume a person was a Darkfriend, but once he was sure he granted them no mercy.
His son, Dain Bornhald, is also a member of the Children of the Light. His use of the expletive “yes” at the end of many of his senteces betrays a Taraboner accent. This makes it likely he originated from Tarabon.

His Legion were the ones who captured Perrin Aybara and Egwene al’Vere, and killed Hopper. He questions both in his tent and informs them that Perrin is to be executed once they reach Amador. After their escape he led the Children to Caemlyn and instigated the riots against Queen Morgase Trakand. Bornhald was summoned back to Amador and ordered to secretly lead a legion of 2000 of the best men into the Almoth Plain. He was to meet a Child of the Light in a village called Alcruna. Once there he was ordered by Jaichim Carridin (Bors) to begin rooting out Darkfriends on the plain. Geofram eventually realized the futility of these orders. Defying Carridin’s orders he led his legion to Falme. There he led the Children against the Seanchan. Along with the Heroes of the Horn he drove the Seanchan out of Falme. Geofram Bornhald died during the charge.

Jaret Byar
Jaret Byar is a zealous member of the Children of the Light. He has a long, gaunt face with sunken eyes. His skin is drawn tight over his body, making his head look like a skull. He is also described as being skeletal in appearance. He is tall with gray hair. He speaks with a flat gravelly voice with no emotion. He served under Geofram Bornhald, to whom he was fiercely loyal. Bornhald accounts him a good soldier. He has had little to no experience outside the cities and his knowledge of wolves is lacking. He admits to having done dark things in service to the Light.

He was in the group that captured Perrin Aybara shortly after he became a wolfbrother. He reports the number of casualties among the Children when the wolves attack to Bornhald – nine men dead, twenty-three injured, seven seriously, and thirty horses put down. He had Hopper skinned with the intention of making a wolf-hide rug for the Lord Captain, but he isn’t interested. He also confiscates Perrin’s axe. He describes, in detail, the activities and methods of the Questioners to Perrin and Egwene when they deny being Darkfriends. He suggests that Perrin and Egwene have to be killed as Darkfriends because the company have to reach Caemlyn in time and captives will slow them down too much. He believes in his heart that Perrin is a Darkfriend. Bornhald warns him about being over-zealous and resolves to take them to Amador and to bring them before the Council of the Anointed. He suggests to Perrin that it would may be better if they escaped and drops a sharp rock on the floor so that they may cut their bonds. This is, however, a trap and they would have been killed during the escape attempt. Lan knocks Byar unconscious when he rescues Perrin and Egwene. He accompanies Bornhald to Alcruna in Tarabon, where they are subject to the orders of Questioners. He witnesses the atrocities carried out by some of the Children in the villages on the Almoth Plain while under Hand of the Light command, including the hanging of children. Even Byar is shocked by that. He appears uncomfortable at Bornhald’s contempt for Questioners and believes they have some reason for their actions on Almoth Plain. Byar is ordered to not engage in combat with Bornhald and the rest of the legion, but to hold back and to report that Aes Sedai have joined in battle on the side of the Seanchan. He is also to report how they were used by the Questioners. Bornhald also shares suspicions with him that Perrin may have informed the Seanchan of their coming and that he could, after all, be a Darkfriend.

He reports to Pedron Niall about the destruction of Bornhald’s legion at Falme and the rise of another “false” Dragon. After Geofram’s death at Falme, he went to Dain Bornhald, his son, and is now as loyal to him as he was to Geofram. He is now one of the followers of Galad Damodred. He backs Galad when he fights Eamon Valda in the Trial Beneath the Light. Surprisingly, he is also the one who quotes the catechism supporting the idea that the Children may ally with the Seanchan or the White Tower at the Last Battle to win against the Shadow.

While following the lead of Galad, the new Captain Commander of the Children, the army crosses path with a much larger army of Children of the Light, Seanchan controlled and lead by Rhadam Asunawa. Asunawa names Galad darkfriend and orders him to surrender for questioning. Rather than have Whitecloak fight Whitecloak, Galad complies and has his force merge with the other force. After Galad is brutally beaten by the Questioners, he is rescued by Trom, Byar and Bornhald. They come in with the other Lord Captains previously standing against him. They drop a sack containing Asunawa’s head and pledge loyalty to him.

Byar informs Galad of a group of travelers just captured by their army. They turn out to be a front force belonging to Perrin’s army. Byar is zealous with convincing Galad that Perrin Goldeneyes is in fact a shadowspawn, and Galad attempts to do battle with Aybara’s army over his murder of two Whitecloaks two years prior. Instead, Ayabara is given a trial, pronounced guilty, but allowed to go free until after the Last Battle, enraging Byar. When Perrin returns to save the Whitecloaks from a Trolloc attack, Byar continues to be blinded from the truth, convinced that it is all a ruse set up by Perrin. At the end of the battle, Byar attempts to cut down Perrin from behind, but is stopped and killed by Dain Bornhald, who now sees the truth about Aybara and would not allow Byar to dishonorably kill a man whose back is turned. Graendal also reveals that she had a Whitecloak in her employ, which was most probably Byar indicating that he was also a Darkfriend.

Canvele
Canvele is an officer of the Children of the Light. Canvele is one of the Lord Captains of the Council of the Anointed of the Children of the Light. Asunawa says he believes the law should be obeyed. He becomes complicit in Eamon Valda’s plans for the Children, but only because Valda brought half a legion with him to the Fortress of the Light. It is unknown whether or not he survived the Battle of Jeramel, although it is known that three Lord Captains died there.

Jaichim Carridin
Jaichim Carridin was an officer of the Children of the Light and an Inquisitor of the Hand of the Light. He commanded the Questioners in Tarabon. His second was Einor Saren. He was also a high ranking Darkfriend, known to his fellows by the name Bors. He is tall with gray at the temples. He is hard faced with dark, hard deep-set eyes. Jaichim Carridin is described as a very patient and cunning man. As an Inquisitor he was ruthless, as a friend of the dark he was worse. Carridin was from a large noble family in Amadicia. He had an intense hatred of Tinkers.

Bors
Carridin first appears as the man known then only as Bors, at the Darkfriend Social. He was ordered by Ishamael to keep a watch for three country lads, Perrin Aybara, Matrim Cauthon, and Rand al’Thor, and to report if they were found. Ishamael also ordered him to take the Children into Almoth Plain and create chaos. He was also told to keep anything he heard about the Seanchan quiet and minimize their importance. He used Pedron Niall’s plan to seize Almoth Plain to this end. Niall sent Geofram Bornhald to assist him. Carridin began using the Children to create havoc on the plain. Bornhald aided him at first but soon realised that the true threat was the Seanchan. Defying Carridin’s orders, he led his legion to Falme to confront the Seanchan.

After the disaster at Falme, Carridin was recalled to Amador by Pedron Niall. He was rebuked for his inaction against the Seanchan and told to keep Rand al’Thor alive. After this meeting he was given orders by a then unidentified Shaidar Haran to kill Rand or his family would be killed one by one, with him last. Carridin returned to Tarabon and continued looking for Rand. When he failed to find him, reports started coming in that Myrddraal were killing members of his family.

When Liandrin and her associates arrived in Tanchico, he became involved with them. He was ordered to place his men at the Panarch’s palace to help create confusion and unrest. Liandrin gave him orders, conflicting with those he had previously received, to no longer hunt Rand. Carridin began drinking brandy heavily around this time.

Eventually Carridin came to serve Sammael. Sammael sent him to Ebou Dar to find a cache of angreal and ter’angreal, which included the Bowl of the Winds. While there he hired a Darkfriend assassin named Lady Shiaine. When Sammael came to check on progress, Carridin noticed Matrim Cauthon and suddenly remembered a secret mission given to him to kill Mat. Sammael told him to forget Cauthon and search for the angreal. Carridin disobeyed Sammael and sent Shiaine after him. Carridin failed again. Carridin was murdered, drowned in brandy, by Murellin, on the orders of Lady Shiaine in the the house on Full Moon Street, by the order of Moridin.

Doirellin
Doirellin is a member of the Children of the Light. Doirellin is almost as wide as he is tall, with barely an once of fat on him. He has a high-pitched voice, which no one dares make fun of. He can put walnuts between each of his fingers and crack them by clenching his fist. When Galad Damodred suggests allying with anyone who is willing to join the fight against the Seanchan, Doirellin queries this and suggests that it could mean Aes Sedai. Galad says that fighting alongside Aes Sedai will be necessary if he wants to fight at Tarmon Gai’don, to which Doirellin nods slowly.

Earwin
Earwin is a member of the Children of the Light. He is large and has grey eyes and a long moustache. On arrival to the Almoth Plain, Geofram Bornhald was forced to relinquish some of his men, including Child Earwin, to take orders from the Questioners. Later, Earwin took part in the terrorising of one of the villages on Almost plain, hanging around thirty men, women and children while disguised as Taraboners. Bornhald rightly finds these actions disgusting and shocking.

Asidim Faisar
Asadim Faisar is a member of the Children of the Light. Pedron Niall sent Faisar to Tarabon to see if anything could be salvaged after the civil war there. Varadin finds Faisar a safe hiding place in Tanchico after the arrival of the Seanchan in Tarabon. He sends word of this to Pedron Niall – Niall thinks that neither of the two men should have any knowledge of the other. Varidin says that he will try to smuggle Faisar out, but that the Forerunners have such a watch on the city walls that a whisper cannot pass unnoticed. A later message sent from Faisar himself confirms what Niall had earlier considered Varidin’s mad ramblings. Niall considers the Seanchan possibly more of a threat than the White Tower and their False Dragon, Rand al’Thor.

Dimir Faral
Dimir Faral is a member of the Children of the Light. He is hard-faced. His white cloak is grimy and worn. He one of four Whitecloak survivors involved in the failed assissination attempt on Rand al’Thor. He was injured by the Aiel. Rand orders the other three hanged and sends Dimir back to Pedron Niall to report that the attempt failed and the threat that he would see Niall hanged too one day. Dimir starts to weep and the others stare in contempt at him, one of them spitting at him. He swears to go straight to Amador. It is later revealed that these men were not on orders from Pedron Niall, but from Padan Fain. They were part of his ragtag band of Children of the Light that stayed with him after the attack on the Two Rivers. It was simply a test to see what Rand’s defences were like rather than a real attempt at assassination.

Farran
Farran is one of the Children of the Light. He holds the rank of Hundredman and is a good soldier. He despises Tinkers. He is under the command of Dain Bornhald when the Children of the Light go to the Two Rivers. He sends a messenger to Dain reporting his suspicions that Padan Fain may have murders some Tinkers that he had been seen talking to previously. Dain orders Farran to talk to Raen and the Tinkers without any violence. Farran is keen to put the Two Rivers captives to the question, though Dain is not so quick to use the methods of the Questioners. Farran pulls out his sword when Perrin refuses to hand himself over after the defeat of the Shadowspawn in Emond’s Field. He looks at Perrin with a look of regret after he chastises the Children for doing nothing in the defence of the village.

Berab Golever
Berab Golever is a Lord Captain in the Children of the Light. He is tall, lanky, bearded and hard. He attends the meeting of Rhadam Asunawa and Galadedrid Damodred. He agrees with Galad, that the Children of the Light should not surrender to the Seanchan.1 He is one of the Lord Captain’s who rise up against Asunawa and his men. He then pledges his support and loyalty behind Galad. While traveling through Ghealdan, he debates with Galad about the merit of of sending a letter to the White Tower to ask if the Children of the Light can become allies with the Aes Sedai.

Gomanes
Gomanes was a member of the Children of the Light. He came to the Two Rivers under the command of Dain Bornhald. He was killed in a “skirmish with Trollocs” while in a group commanded by Ordeith. This is the second time that Dain send his own men with Ordieth and his band of followers and the second time his men were the only fatalities. Dain suspects they were murdered. Ordieth starts to relate the tale of how Gomanes was killed, but Bornhald smacks him in the face befoe he finishes his sentence.

Alaabar Harnesh
Alaabar Harnesh is a Lord Captain in the Children of the Light. He is from Murandy. He is a short and bald man. He lost his left ear in battle. Harnesh attends the meeting of Rhadam Asunawa and Galadedrid Damodred. Harnesh seems to accept Galad’s arguments that a Darkfriend would not have been able to kill Valda while the Children of the Light were formal, standing witnesses.1 He is one of the Lord Captain’s who rise up against Asunawa and his men. He then pledges his support and loyalty behind Galad. While traveling through Ghealdan, he debates with Galad about the merit of of sending a letter to the White Tower to ask if the Children of the Light can become allies with the Aes Sedai.

Ivon
Ivon is a member of the Children of the Light. He is hard-faced. His armor shines as much as his snowy white cloak. He is one of the men that arrives in Taren Ferry with Dain Bornhald and who had been previously patrolling near Tar Valon. He carries a message from Hundredman Farran to Dain about the suspicious activities of Ordeith and the disappearance of three Tuatha’an he had been talking with.

Jeral
Jeral is a young member of the Children of the Light. He appears dressed in a blue Domani-cut cloak in lieu of his usual white one. He appears in a village on the Almoth Plain to bring word from Jaichim Carridin to Geofram Bornhald. Carridin wants him to stay away from Falme and the Seanchan. This is the last straw for Bornhald. Bornhald sends Jeral and other Children under his command to the scattered parties of his legion with the orders that they regroup and march against the Seanchan. This goes against the wishes of Carridin and the Hand of the Light.

Joelin
Joelin was a member of the Children of the Light. He came to the Two Rivers under the command of Dain Bornhald. He was killed in a “skirmish with Trollocs” while in a group commanded by Ordeith. This is the second time that Dain sent his own men with Ordeith and his band of followers and the second time his men were the only fatalities. Dain suspects they were murdered.

Lucellin
Lucellin is a member of the Children of the Light. He is in charge of making sure no one in Taren Ferry slips off when the Children of the Light first arrive in the Two Rivers looking for Darkfriends.

Muadh
Muadh is a member of the Children of the Light. He was once captured by Darkfriends, who mutilated his face. He served under Geofram Bornhald.

After arriving in a small village on the Almoth Plain, Geofram sees a long gibbet with around thirty bodies of men, women and children hanging from it. He asks Muadh if he is responsible or the Seanchan. Muadh replies that it was neither, but a group of so-called ‘Taraboners’ that are really Questioners in disguise. Geofram sends Muadh to get someone to provide him with information on the Seanchan. He, presumably, died at Falme along with all the other Children that were part of Bornhald’s legion.

Pedron Niall – was Lord Captain Commander until Taisham 11, 1000 NE when he was murdered by Abdel Omerna. Omerna was then killed by Eamon Valda. He was viewed as a political and tactical genius. Had a personal grudge against the nation of Illian.

Pedron Niall (pronounced: PAY-drohn NEYE-awl) was the Lord Captain Commander of the Children of the Light. He is a white-haired old man. His voice is thin and reedy with age. His body seems all bone and sinew with thin skin like scraped parchment. Despite his age, there is nothing frail about him. He was one of the Five Great Captains. He personally swore Geofram Bornhald into the ranks of the Children of the Light in 962 NE. He instigated the beginning of the Whitecloak War in 957 NE by trying to expand into Altara. He wins a number of battles against coalition forces led by Mattin Stepaneos den Balgar and even manages to capture him at the battle of Sormaine. After ransoming Mattin back to Illian, Mattin managed to force the Whitecloaks to reaffirm the pre-war borders between Altara and Amadicia. During the Aiel War, he was one of the more noteable generals that made up the Grand Alliance. When the Aiel returns to the Waste, he holds the army at the foothills of Kinslayer’s Dagger.

He is one of the first to realize that the Last Battle is approaching but mis-interprets that he will be the leader of the forces of good and that they will all be under the banner of the Children of Light. He sends Geofram Bornhald to the Almoth Plain with a legion of Children of the Light. There he tries to put that area under Whitecloak control. From there he can have easier access to capture Arad Doman and Tarabon, and put them under his control. He later sends Padan Fain under the command of Dain Bornhald to the Two Rivers. He commits treason by sending men to protect the Dragon in order for him to create chaos which Pedron will capitalize on to make his dream reality. He also gathers all other Children of the Light back to Amadicia. He enters the Royal Palace of Amadicia to place Morgase Trakand under his protection. He promises to help Morgase take back Andor with his help. He also tells her the news of Rahvin (Lord Gaebril) dying at the hands of the “false” Dragon. This is all part of his plan to add Andor to his rule. She finally agrees to an alliance with Niall allowing the Children of the Light to be immune to Andor’s laws when they finally ride into Andor. However he holds back his invasion and also keeps his men from attacking the Salidar Aes Sedai. He keeps Galad Damodred in the dark about Morgase being a “guest” in the Fortress of Light and sends Jaichim Carridin while he is acting as a diplomat in Ebou Dar to track down Elayne Trakand when she also arrives there. He receives confirmation about the Seanchan invading Tarabon but before he can do anything with this information he is killed by his spymaster, Abdel Omerna, on Taisham 15, 1000 NE.

Norowhin
Norowhin is a member of the Children of the Light. He is hard-eyed with a thrusting nose. He is not handsome. He is about the same height as Martyn Tallanvor. He is a young commander of the Children – about the same age as Tallanvor. He talks very little. He is placed in charge of the group of soldiers who guard Morgase Trakand when she leaves the confines of the Fortress of the Light. He is disgusted by the Dragonsworn. He refuses to be drawn into any type of conversation with Morgase, despite her repeated attempts to get information out of him.

Abdel Omerna
Abdel Omerna was a officer of the Children of the Light. He was tall with a strong chin and waves of white hair at his temples. He has dark eyes that are deep and thoughtful. He is the image of what a Whitecloak officer should look like and appears fearless and commanding. He has a deep, resonant voice. He was one of the Lord Captains of the Council of the Anointed. Although supposedly a minor member of the Council, he is Pedron Niall’s public spymaster and feared every bit as much as Rhadam Asunawa. In truth, Abdel is a decoy to direct attention away from Niall’s true spymaster and secretary, Sebban Balwer. Not even Adbel himself knows of this fact. While Niall acknowledges his competence in the field, he thinks the man very stupid and gullible. Niall indicates that the man has seen harsh battles. His battle experience may have been during the Whitecloak War, as might fit his apparent age and position. Niall notes that he is very good at remaining calm and suggests that it is what he does best. He listens far too much to gossip in the street and in taverns, though he is very efficient at gathering such information. It is no secret that he has been duped into buying no fewer than three Horns of Valere for large sums of money, and was frustrated when he blew them and nothing happened.

Niall consults with him on various issues regarding the quarantine of the border between Tarabon and Amadicia. Omerna wishes to invite the Illuminators into Amador to open a chapter house and to infiltrate them with spies for the Children. Niall does not agree. He also reports on confirming the existence of the Dragonsworn in Ghealdan and Murandy. Omerna suggests that the rulers of Ghealdan, Altara and Murandy are willing to support the Children. Omerna thinks that Siuan Sanche hadn’t really been deposed, the Stone of Tear had not fallen and the armies of Hawkwing had returned to Falme. Niall thinks all of these ridiculous, yet the final one was the truth. Niall thinks that Omerna was becoming increasingly incompetent and careless and reflects that he is useless as a decoy if he cannot carry out his supposed position as spymaster to his full ability. Omerna is manipulated by Eamon Valda into assassinating Pedron Niall with a dagger. The reason he gives is the fact that Niall did not act against the Aes Sedai gathering in Salidar on the border. His usefulness fulfilled, Eamon then kills Abdel himself. Valda suggests that Omerna had been bought by Tar Valon witches or the Dragonsworn.

Oratar
Child Oratar is a member of the Children of the Light. He was present when Perrin Aybara killed two other members of the Children of the Light.

Einor Saren
Einor Saren is a Whitecloak officer and a Questioner under Jaichim Carridin. He is tall and hook-nosed. He has a harsh voice and a set of unalterable certainty to his face. In 998 NE, he greets Geofram Bornhald when he arrives in Tarabon. He is second in command after Jaichim Carridin.
Saren invites Bornhald and his men to a village that has been “pacified.” Bornhald takes that to mean that they have killed all the inhabitants to ensure secrecy. Saren gives them orders to root out Darkfriends on the Almoth Plain and the men of Bornhald’s legion are to be put at the disposal of the Hand of the Light by orders of Pedron Niall. Bornhald feels like he is being moved like stones on a board. In 999 NE, he is used as a messenger by Pedron Niall to escort Morgase Trakand to his audience chamber. Saren has a deep contempt for her and “happens” to walk past the place where Paitr Conel and Torwyn Barshaw, two locals who offered to help her escape the Fortress of the Light, are being hanged as Darkfriends. Afterwards, he talks with Rhadam Asunawa about being used like a dog to fetch Morgase and how he felt about to sick up his stomach standing so close to a witch. He wanted to kill her.

Trom
Trom is one of the Lord Captains of the Children of the Light. He was with Galadedrid Damodred when he confronted Nynaeve al’Meara and Elayne Trakand about being in Sienda. He appears to be friends with Galad and has two knots of rank. He would rather have a farrier pound his head with a hammer than practice sword with Galad. He broke up a Darkfriend gathering while they were chanting a catechism to the Dark One. Among those at the meeting were Paitr Conel and his uncle and they were subsequently hanged. He was promoted to Lord Captain after the Battle of Jeramel. He now wears three knots of rank. He was sent to Nassad, along with the other Lord Captains, to meet with the Seanchan. Eamon Valda asks him why he was not already making his way there when they turn up at his lodge to bring charges against him. His absence (or lack of it) from this meeting may have consequences in the existing relationship between the Children and the Seanchan. Trom backed Galad when he confronted Eamon Valda about Valda’s treatment of Morgase. Having a superior officer of high rank to back Galad’s position may have been important.

After leaving Seachan controlled territory with Galad, they come across a huge force of Children of the Light under Seanchan command waiting for them. Instead of engaging with the enemy, Galad gives himself up absorbing the two different forces of Whitecloaks as one. After Galad is brutally beaten by the Hand of the Light, he is rescued by Trom, Jaret Byar and Dain Bornhald. They come in with the other Lord Captains previously standing against him. They drop a sack containing Rhadam Asunawa’s head and pledge loyalty to him. While traveling through Ghealdan, he debates with Galad about the merit of of sending a letter to the White Tower to ask if the Children of the Light can become allies with the Aes Sedai.Eamon Valda – became the next Lord Captain Commander with the aid of High Inquisitor Rhadam Asunawa. A brilliant swordsman and passionate man, Valda preferred the use of force over subtle strategies. Had an extreme hatred of Aes Sedai. Valda served from Taisham 11, 1000 NE to Aine 4, 1000 NE.

Eamon Valda
Eamon Valda was a Lord Captain Commander of the Children of the Light, succeeding Pedron Niall after his assassination. He was of average height with a hard, dark face. He was a member of the Council of the Anointed, serving under Pedron Niall. He had achieved Blademaster status, being so judged unanimously by five other blademasters.

Eamon Valda was sent by Pedron Niall to foment dissent in Caemlyn but stopped to follow Elayne when she began her journey to the White Tower. He encountered Galad Damodred, to whom he gave a copy of the book The Way of the Light, the basic treatise that defines the Children, and then proceeded to accept him into the Whitecloak ranks. Niall sent word to him that he was to go to Amador but Valda returned instead to the Fortress of the Light and began plotting with the High Inquisitor of the Children of the Light Rhadam Asunawa to kill Pedron Niall. After Abdel Omerna killed Niall with the encouragement of Valda, he barged into Niall’s office and killed Omerna, it was this set up that allowed him to become the Lord Captain Commander. To further protect himself Valda staffed the Fortress with Whitecloaks loyal only to him. He then forced Morgase to submit to him both physically and on paper before leaving to go north to deal with the Prophet, Masema Dagar. He engaged the Seanchan in the Battle of Jeramel and was forced to retreat without much loss to his forces. He later formed an alliance with the Seanchan and was given a new headquarters. It was shortly after this event that Valda was confronted by Galad about the abuse and supposed death at his hand, of Morgase his mother by adoption. In the ensuing sword fight Galad slew Valda, making him the new Lord Captain Commander of the Children.

Varadin
Varadin is a Whitecloak agent in Tarabon. Varadin was a rug seller during the Whitecloak War. During this time, he peddled his wares through Altara, Murandy and Illian, all the while providing “good service” to Pedron Niall. He was one of Niall’s best personal agents. From the profit he made during those years, Varadin set himself up as a wealthy merchant in Tanchico trading in fine carpets and wines. He regularly supplies to both the King of Tarabon and the Panarch, as well as many important nobles. Each time he visits, he comes back with his eyes and ears full.

Varadin sends messages warning about strange creatures, flying beasts, Aes Sedai on leashes and the “Hailene”. Niall thinks he has gone insane. After more reports from other people, Niall takes Varadin’s second message from Tarabon more seriously. Asidim Faisar, another Child of the Light, sends Niall a report confirming Varadin’s earlier messages

Brandel Vordarian
Brandel Vordarian is a Lord Captain in the Children of the Light. His family were minor nobles from Andor. He is a blond hulk of a man. He is older than Galadedrid Damodred. He is clean shaven with silver in his hair. He is one of the Lord Captain’s who stood against Galad. He then rises up against Rhadam Asunawa and his men. He then pledges his support and loyalty behind Galad. While traveling through Ghealdan, he debates with Galad about the merit of sending a letter to the White Tower to ask if the Children of the Light can become allies with the Aes Sedai.

Wuan
Wuan is a member of the Children of the Light. He has a pretty face and a yellow beard. He is young. He is left-handed. On arrival to the Almoth Plain, Geofram Bornhald was forced to relinquish some of his men, including Child Wuan, to take orders from the Questioners. Later, Wuan took part in the terrorising of one of the villages on Almoth Plain, hanging around thirty men, women and children while disguised as Taraboners. Bornhald rightly finds these actions disgusting and shocking.